What has been a difficult season for the Seattle Mariners may finally be trending in the right direction. The team recently wrapped up a series victory over their American League West rival, the Houston Astros.
After falling 10-7 on Friday, the Mariners bounced back with a 10-5 win Saturday and a 3-2 victory Sunday. Seattle has now won three of its last four games, including a 1-0 win over the New York Yankees last Thursday. The Mariners are 59-66, sitting in third place in the AL West and four games behind the first-place Astros. They are also 2.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for the American League’s final wild-card spot.
On Sunday, right-hander Bryan Woo took the mound for Seattle. He delivered a strong outing, pitching six innings while giving up two earned runs. Woo had thrown just 75 pitches through six frames, but manager Dan Wilson decided to remove him from the game.
Seattle’s bullpen handled the rest, combining for three scoreless innings to secure the victory. Following the game, Seattle Sports’ Shannon Drayer reported that Woo exited early because of “a little bit of shoulder soreness.”
Woo’s season
The 26-year-old right-hander has taken a step back this season after putting together elite campaigns in 2024 and 2025. Through 24 starts, Woo is 9-8 with a 4.10 ERA across 138 ⅓ innings. He has recorded 137 strikeouts while issuing just 29 walks.
Woo has gone through some difficult stretches this year, but his recent performances have been encouraging. Including Sunday’s outing against Houston, he has surrendered just two runs over his last three starts, covering 18 innings.
If Woo can maintain this recent turnaround, it would be a major boost for a Mariners club still battling in a tight division race. The right-hander played an important role in that race last season and was also a key contributor during the postseason.
The shoulder issue
At this point, there is not much information available regarding Woo’s shoulder soreness. His next scheduled start would likely come Saturday at home against the Chicago Cubs. That game is scheduled to air nationally on Fox at 7:15 p.m. ET.
More details should emerge as the week progresses, but if Woo is unable to make that start, Seattle will have to determine who takes his place. The Mariners’ two top pitching prospects, Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan, remain in Double-A, although their opportunity at the major-league level could eventually arrive.
For now, Seattle will head to the Midwest for a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers from Tuesday through Thursday before returning home to host the Cubs. Both series present difficult challenges for the Mariners.